Curses or Blessings
by Gwendalynn
Summary: Helga was just looking for a warm bed when she traveled to Whiterun Hold. That is, until she was invited to Jorrvaskr, where she found work and something else. But Helga has dark secrets, some of which she will do anything to hold onto. FxVilkas FxBrynjolf
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hi, all! This is my first official fanfiction. This first chapter is a bit short and perhaps dull, but I'm very excited about this story! Please be kind in your reviews, this took a lot of courage to make public. Enjoy!

 **DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything, except for my OC.**

 **XXX**

Night was setting in and she was beginning to grow weary for rest. But in the distance near a vegetable farm she saw three warriors fighting a giant. Forgetting her desire for rest, she sprinted against the gentle wind. She slung her bow around from her back in a tight grip, leaping onto the post of the fence and began to fire her arrows. The ebony arrow pierced the giant's head and he growled in pain. The warriors looked up to see a woman in leather armor. A hood hung low on her head, but they could see her lips in a tight line from concentration.

The giant stumbled toward her while the warriors continued hacking away at his legs. Effortlessly, she climbed her way up his mighty body as his arms flailed about trying to grab her. She produced a spear from her back and jammed it into the beast's head. He grunted and fell to the ground. She casually jumped off his shoulders before he collided with the soft dirt and turned to face the trio, pushing her hood back to her shoulders.

Farkas stared at her in awe. She was breathtaking. Dark war paint covered the left side of her face in a large stripe, bringing out her large eyes. She had a beautiful face, although a scar was quite present on her right side from her ear to her nose. Her pink, plump lips looked pretty against her alabaster skin. Her dark hair was short and decorated with braids. She was lovely.

"You handle yourself well. You could make for a decent Shield Sister. I am Aela." A woman in hunting attire with beautiful war paint told her with a tight lipped smile.

"Helga." She introduced herself. "What is a Shield Sister?" She asked, putting her spear on her back.

"An outsider, eh? Have you ever heard of the Companions?" Aela asked and Helga shook her head. "An order of warriors. We are brothers and sisters in honor. We show up to solve problems if the coin is good enough."

"You look strong. Come to Jorrvaskr and be a Companion!" A fierce looking male Nord told her with a goofy grin. "I am Farkas." She could tell he was puffing his broad chest out and she almost laughed. She had to admit he was wonderfully handsome. Hardy. Like a true Nord.

She nodded her head with a sweet smile. "Perhaps." She turned to the giant and yanked the arrow from his head, making a squishing sound. Blood dripped from the arrow and she wiped it with a piece of cloth that hung from her trousers.

"If you're interested in joining, talk to Kodlak Whitemane at Jorrvaskr. He's got a good sense for people. He can look you in the eyes and tell your worth." Aela said, standing with her arms crossed in a defiant manner, but Helga could see the small glint of a smile on her dark lips.

"I'm Ria," A petite Imperial woman said with a perked brow. "If you go to him, good luck."

"It was nice meeting all of you. May the Gods watch over your battles." She said and with that she took off, running into the night.

"Did you see her gazing at me?" Farkas said cockily to Aela.

The women rolled their eyes. "Keep it in your pants," Ria scowled. "She barely noticed you."

Farkas let out a hearty chortle and snorted. "She noticed me." Then he flexed for the two women, who merely scoffed, and the trio made their way to Jorrvaskr.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I love Vilkas. He's such a moody, brooding stick in the mud. This is another short chapter, but we've all played the Companion's quest line and we all know what happens. I try not to use much in game dialogue, but it's hard not to during the beginning of this. Hope you all enjoy!

 **XXX**

"I still hear the call of the blood," Vilkas admitted to Kodlak with a heavy heart. His voice was laced with pain and frustration.

The old man nodded with a frown. "We all do. It is our burden to bear, but we can overcome."

His words always soothed Vilkas in some way. Kodlak was the only one who understood his daily struggle. It was a bond only they shared. Farkas had taken to the beast blood so easily, always seeming to push it away when the beast howled. Yet Vilkas was in constant turmoil. The beast begged to be free, but Vilkas somehow found strength to push it away most times. Although, the beast won its freedom at times...

"You have my brother and I, obviously. But I don't know if the rest will go along so easily." Vilkas sighed, taking a long drink of mead.

"Leave that to me." A few moments later, Kodlak sensed a presence and announced, "A stranger comes to our halls."

Vilkas looked up, seeing a Nord woman standing in the doorway. He could smell her, pine and lavendar. It was an intoxicating combination. "I'm Helga. I'd like to join the Companions."

"Would you now?" He smiled and took a sip of mead. "Hm. Yes, perhaps. A certain strength of spirit." He concluded after a moment.

Kodlak was so willing to accept this strange woman. There was an air about her that made Vilkas on edge. He could sense things and something was telling him she was trouble. "Master, you're not truly considering accepting her?" He scolded. He noticed Helga sigh.

Kodlak looked at Vilkas, "I am nobody's master, Vilkas. And last I checked, we had some empty beds here in Jorrvaskr for those with a fire burning in their hearts." He looked to Helga again with the smile back on his aging face.

"Apologies. But perhaps this isn't the time. I've never even heard of this outsider," said Vilkas looking at Helga. She could be anyone with any faction. Perhaps she was a thief, an assassin, a mage, or worse. Perhaps a necromancer. He would find out soon enough. Something was amiss about this woman.

"Sometimes the famous come to us. Sometimes men and women come to seek their fame. It makes no difference." His eyes turned to Vilkas, "What matters is their heart."

"And their arm," he replied with perked eyebrows.

"Of course," Kodlak agreed, "How are you in battle, girl?"

She cleared her throat, resting her hands on her hips. "I can handle myself fairly well."

"That may be so. This is Vilkas. He will test your arm." Kodlak gestured with his head. "Vilkas, take her out to the yard and see what she can do."

The man named Vilkas had not let go of the woman with his gaze. His eyes, which were a stormy gray, held such rage and hatred within them. She could feel it buring into her soul. It made her boil with anger. She would show him she wasn't a common tavern wench. The harsh world had trained her well, and she was well accustomed to bloodying her blade. She was ready to fight him and make him regret his words and gazes.

Vilkas took the lead, and with decisive, fast steps, he went through the corridor. He walked quickly, which in turn made her hurry behind him. When reaching the door, he took a quick look at her but then continued up the stairs. Well out on the courtyard, other members of the Companions gathered.

"The old man told me to have a look at you, so let's do this. Just have a few swings at me so that I can see your form. Don't worry, I can take it." He grinned cockily and put his teeth together, much like a wolf does when it sees a prey.

Helga prepared for battle, unsheathing her sword. She raised it quickly, tricking him, before quickly manuevering to hit his legs. He staggered for a moment before finding his footing and whipping his sword toward her with a mighty vengeance. She blocked his blow with her own blade with all her strength. He took another swing, tearing her leather armor. She heard his low chuckle, which made her boil with rage. They clashed steel for a few more moments before Helga elbowed him in the cheek. He yelled a curse, but before he knew it, he was on the ground with her foot pinning him. The very tip of her sword was pressed at the base of his throat.

For a moment, he feared she was going to kill him. Her gaze was of loathing and disgust as she gazed down at him in such a vulnerable position. Then he heard the cheering of the other Companions and her eyes faultered to the porch where they had gathered.

She helped him up to his feet. "Not bad, but next time won't be so easy," he said with an undertone of admiration. "You might just make it. But for now you are still a whelp to us, new blood. So you do what we tell you."

She said nothing and left to join the others at the porch.


	3. Chapter 3

It wasn't long before Helga got her first mission. This would be the one determining if she was skilled enough to be a member of the Companions. The task, which was given to her by Skjor, was to retrieve a fragment of Wuuthrad from Dustman's Cairn. Farkas was selected to be her shield-brother. He would watch her to make sure she was honorable. It annoyed her that they lacked trust in her, yet she was happy with the choice of Farkas to accompany her.

"I gotta get my gear ready," Farkas told Helga in the mead hall. "I'll meet you by the gates when I'm ready."

"I guess I should sharpen my blade till then," she murmured.

Farkas went back to his bedroom, grabbing his pack from the corner of his messy room. It smelled of old mead and dirt. He hoped Tilma would clean the place soon. He wasn't much for domesticated chores such as neatness, but he appreciated a tidy room.

He could smell Vilkas before he even entered the room. "Brother," he greeted him.

"Be careful, brother," Vilkas said lowly. "Don't let your guard down around her."

Farkas' brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

Vilkas shut the door and ran a hand through his hair. "The newblood," he whispered. "There is something about her."

Farkas scoffed and continued to arrange his pack. "She's a good warrior, Vilkas. Don't hate her because she gave you a beating."

Vilkas growled, tensing every muscle in his body as he remembered her victory. "There is an air about her that is wrong, Brother. I can sense something in her. It's struggling to break free from her. I'm begging you to be cautious."

Farkas pulled his pack over his armored shoulder. It was heavy, full of potions and poisons. He hoped he wouldn't need such things on this mission, but he was always prepared. Being in the wilds of Skyrim was dangerous, and no one could be too careful.

"I'll be careful," Farkas promised him, gripping his shoulder. "You shouldn't worry so much, Brother. You need to relax. When was the last time you slept with a woman, hm?"

Vilkas rolled his eyes and opened the door as they continued to walk down the hallway. "When will you learn that women are nothing but trouble?"

"Trouble sometimes comes with rewards," Farkas chuckled. They were soon outside Jorrvaskr, taking in the morning sun and the smell of honey in the air. "I'll be back before you know it." He jogged down the steps and out of view, whistling along the way.

Vilkas knew Farkas could handle himself. He was stronger than most Nords. However, he was one to fall for a pretty face rather easily. He was too trusting when it came to women. He was in love with a different woman everyday.

Helga was beautiful, Vilkas had to admit. He paid little attention to women in a sexual sense. He didn't have the time for romance. Once in a while he would rent a room at the Mare and take a wench to his bed in a drunken stupor, but it had been a long time since his last romp. He never asked them any questions. He would simply whisper the same sweet nothings into their ear and take them to bed. When they would awaken, he would be gone. That's how he liked it.

For now, he was too concered about his brother to worry about women. He had a fleeting thought of following them to ensure his brother's safety, but he knew how betrayed Farkas would feel. He was a prideful man, and if he found out Vilkas had followed them he would never forgive him.

Vilkas found himself in front of Kodlak's office. Kodlak was the man he went to whenever he needed someone. He was often a voice of wisdom and comfort for him. He listened when no one else could. The others were mostly too busy with their own conflicts, yet Kodlak never seemed to mind. He took on Vilkas' burdens with him, hoping to the lighten the load of distress. Vilkas could never thank him enough. He was like a father to him, always giving him advice. And right now, that's exactly what he needed.

"Kodlak," he murmured, interrupting the old man's reading.

He smiled warmly and shut his book. "Vilkas, my boy," he said. "What can I do for you?"

"We need to talk about the newblood."

 **A/N: Sorry for the long delay in this chapter. The holidays seemed to last forever and I was caught up in things. Not exactly an exciting chapter, but the next one will make up for that. Please review!**


End file.
